MANILA, Philippines – The government gave assurances that the people of Biliran will have electricity back in their homes before Christmas Day.

Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella said on Monday, December 18, that the Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting the return of power to the island province by Thursday, December 21, 4 days before Christmas.

Biliran was among the areas hardest hit by Tropical Depression Urduja (Kai-tak), which battered Eastern Visayas as a tropical storm.

"Through 24/7 work shifts, they are targeting December 21 to return the power by Christmas," he said during a press conference of Duterte Cabinet members in Biliran.

As of posting, there is a "total blackout" in 7 towns in Biliran where intense rains caused deadly landslides and floods.

In the province alone, at least 23 have died while 33 are missing.

Bringing back power to affected provinces remains a challenge since there are areas that have been rendered impassable due to flooding or landslides.

But Fuentebella promised that the DOE, with the help of power cooperatives, would do their best.

He also urged citizens to report any overpricing of power. Those with any concerns can contact the DOE through its hotline, 429-2900 local 329.

Food packs, agri damage

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco said the government is on top of relief efforts in Urduja-affected areas.

P37.6 million in food packs and non-food items have been readied for those affected. Around 356,000 food packs are on standby. The DSWD also has a P188.8-million fund on standby.

Leyco promised that 15,000 family food packs would reach Biliran within the day from Cebu, from where the relief goods will be transported using a Philippine Coast Guard boat.

Some 44,000 families or 191,000 persons stayed in 608 evacuation centers spread throughout Eastern Visayas but many of them have begun returning to their homes, Leyco added.

A total of 62,309 families or 270,707 individuals were affected by Urduja. (READ:  #ReliefPH: Help victims of Urduja)

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) has earmarked P4.5 million for medicines for storm-hit provinces, said its chief, Secretary Francisco Duque III.

Rural health units across the provinces have treated around 54 patients.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said the initial assessment by Biliran officials shows the estimated cost of damage to agriculture and fisheries in the province is over P30 million.

But he said Department of Agriculture (DA) regional offices are still collating data for a final figure.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade reported that Tacloban and Biliran airports and seaports remain operational since they sustained only minimal damage. – Rappler.com

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran shut schools around Tehran Sunday, December 17, and cancelled sporting events as thick smog blanketed the capital despite curbs on road traffic and industrial activity.

The authorities shuttered primary schools in the province of Tehran, home to 14 million residents, before ordering them to remain closed on Monday, December 18.

All sports competitions set for Monday were also cancelled, as restrictions on road traffic were stepped up, including a ban on trucks.

Airborne concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) hit 185 microgrammes per cubic metre in the south of Tehran and 174 in its center on Sunday morning, local authorities said.

That is far above the World Health Organization recommended maximum of 25 microgrammes per m3 over a 24-hour period.

The microscopic particles lodge deep in the lungs and are harmful to human health.

"Tehran is suffocating (but) hundreds of thousands of cars are built each year," said Hossein, a man in his sixties who did not give his surname.

"They're building in the mountains, they're destroying our forests. We don't want any more oil, we don't want any more petrol," he added.

Every year, Iran's sprawling capital suffers some of the worst pollution in the world when cool temperatures cause an effect known as "temperature inversion".

The phenomenon creates a layer of warm air above the city that traps pollution from its more than eight million cars and motorbikes.

'Not doing anything' 

Authorities also ordered mines and cement factories to close, and called on the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with heart problems to stay indoors.

Residents who ventured out wore face masks while others chose to remain at home.

Ali Ebrahimian, a retiree, told AFP he only stepped outside to sort out "an urgent matter".

Fatemeh Assadi, a woman in her sixties, accused the authorities of failing to prevent the pollution.

"The government's not doing anything," she said.

Iran is expected to produce 1.5 million new vehicles by the end of this Persian year which ends in March, according to official figures, in a country where some 20 million cars and trucks are already on the roads.

In October, Tehran mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi said he wanted to develop public transport and help reduce traffic in the capital, which lies at between 1,400 and 1,800 meters above sea level.

But he warned that a solution would take time.

In the northwestern cities of Tabriz and Urmia, schools remained closed for the second day straight on Sunday, official news agency IRNA said.

While atmospheric pollution in Iran is not as severe as in India or China, it endangers the health of its residents.

In 2014, almost 400 people were hospitalized with heart and respiratory problems caused by pollution in Tehran. Nearly 1,500 others required treatment.

The health ministry estimated that pollution in 2012 contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 across the country. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former Department of Health (DOH) secretary Janette Garin took a swipe at several public health experts who have been staunchly criticizing her for launching the now-suspended dengue vaccination program.

In a Rappler talk interview on Saturday, December 16, Garin said she would listen more to the opinions of the DOH's program directors and the positions of medical societies they consult rather than the stand of individual doctors.

"Kaya nga ang ginawa naming polisiya, we cannot rely on individual doctors. We rely on specialty societies. Kung ito ay sakit sa puso, cardiologist ang papakinggan namin, pero hindi isa. Tatawagan namin 'yung association nila and ask the association, 'Who will be your representative?'" said Garin.

(That's why our policy is that we cannot rely on individual doctors. We rely on specialty societies. If we're talking about heart ailments, we listen to cardiologists, but not just one. We will call the association and ask them, "Who will be your representative?")

"As secretary of health, I would rely on the director kasi sila ang kaharap ng mga pasyente at mga regional directors. Mahirap kasi para sa amin na pagka may isang magaling na doktor, siya lang ang pakikinggan namin. It would be better pagka society," she added.

(As secretary of health, I would rely on my directors because they are the ones who face the patients and the regional directors. It's hard to listen to just one good doctor. It would be better if we listen to societies.)

The DOH under Garin had launched the dengue vaccination program in April 2016 by administering Sanofi Pasteur's Dengvaxia vaccine to public school students aged 9 and above in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. (READ: TIMELINE: Dengue immunization program for public school students)

At the time, public health experts had warned Garin it was too early to allow mass use of the vaccine, as clinical studies on its safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness had not yet been completed.

These Filipino doctors include Antonio Dans, Anthony Leachon, and Susan Pineda-Mercado. (READ: 'Bad science, wrong info' root of Dengvaxia problem – health experts) 

Leachon was part of the dengue expert panel that Garin's successor Paulyn Ubial formed, while Mercado was DOH undersecretary during the time of Juan Flavier and later served as director for noncommunicable diseases at the World Health Organization.

Two years after Garin launched the dengue vaccination program, Sanofi released an advisory saying Dengvaxia may cause a vaccinated individual to develop severe dengue symptoms if he or she had not been infected by the virus before immunization. 

More than 833,000 Filipino schoolchildren got the risky vaccine before current DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III suspended the program.

In a Senate probe into the Dengvaxia controversy last week, Garin said her program directors, the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and the Philippine Pediatric Society Incorporated advised her to push through with the immunization program as the vaccine may lead to an "80.8% reduction in hospitalization and 93.2% reduction in severity."

But Dans, Leachon, and Mercado were not the only doctors who were against the vaccination program. 

FEC designed to 'protect' DOH 

The Formulary Executive Council (FEC) – composed of top Filipino experts who determine which drugs and vaccines the government may use and buy – also did not want mass use of Dengvaxia. The FEC was formed through an administrative order signed by former president Fidel Ramos.

Still, Garin said she would give less weight to the FEC's recommendation as "they are consultants [and] not full-time [employees]" of the DOH. (READ: Conflict between Garin and FEC emerges in Dengvaxia probe)

She said "miscommunication" often happens whenever the DOH's program directors explain the needs on the ground to the FEC's secretariat, who then relays the message to the FEC members.

"The feedback to me was that sometimes the Philippine National Formulary Secretariat does not properly convey the message of the program directors to the FEC. It's not a perfect system... The administrative order should be reviewed," said Garin.

Duque, however, told Rappler that he considers the FEC's views as crucial, as it was formed to "protect" the DOH chief.

"They are a recommendatory body, but it's not something that you can ignore as secretary of health because they are your protection!" said Duque. 

Duque already spent 5 years as DOH chief under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before being reappointed to the department again in October by President Rodrigo Duterte.  

Garin, meanwhile, had only been DOH secretary from February 2015 to June 2016. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, USA – The Pentagon has acknowledged funding a secret multi-million dollar program to investigate sightings of UFOs.

The shadowy program ended in 2012, according to the Defense Department, but the New York Times reported that it is still up and running – with officials continuing to study incidents brought to their attention by US military service members while performing their regular duties at the Pentagon.

The so-called Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program operated from 2007 to 2012 and had $22 million a year in funding tucked away in the Pentagon's gargantuan budget, the Times said, quoting program participants and records.

The program yielded documents describing sightings of unidentified flying aircraft that apparently moved very fast with no visible sign of propulsion or hovered with no apparent means of lift, the Times said.

Program officials also examined video of encounters between unknown objects and US military aircraft.

This included one released in August of a whitish oval object about the size of a jetliner, being pursued by two Navy fighter jets from an aircraft carrier off the California coast in 2004, the paper added.

The Department of Defense said in a statement the program is now over.

"The Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program ended in the 2012 timeframe. It was determined that there were other, higher priority issues that merited funding and it was in the best interest of the DoD to make a change," it said.

It added: "The DoD takes seriously all threats and potential threats to our people, our assets, and our mission and takes action whenever credible information is developed."

The program was initially funded at the request of then Senator Harry Reid, the chamber's majority leader at the time and a long-time enthusiast of space phenomena, the Times said.

Most of the money in the program went to an aerospace research company run by Robert Bigelow, a billionaire entrepreneur and longtime friend of Reid, the Times said.

"If anyone says they have the answers, they're fooling themselves," Reid, who retired from Congress last year, said in a tweet Saturday night.

"We don't know the answers but we have plenty of evidence to support asking the questions. This is about science and national security. If America doesn't take the lead in answering these questions, others will," Reid wrote. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte began his week with a visit to Biliran, one of the provinces reeling from devastation wrought by Tropical Depression Urduja (Kai-tak).

On Monday, December 18, Duterte listened to a situation briefing in Naval town where he was informed of the status of rescue and relief operations.

The President was accompanied by several Cabinet members and officials including Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Interior Undersecretary Eduardo Año, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

Also present were the governor and mayors of Biliran.

"He, of course, condoled with the victims of [Tropical Depression] Urduja and  pledged that government will do everything it can to help Biliran rise again," said Roque in a statement to media.

To the concern of the local government officials that towns aside from Naval are in need of assistance, Duterte asked for a list of exactly what the local government units need.

Told that food supplies in Biliran may be gone by the end of the day, the President said he would order the Philippine Air Force to airlift more provisions.

Roque said Duterte ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to finish repairing two damaged bridges in Naval in "lesser than 30 days."

He also instructed the Department of Trade and Industry to be vigilant about the overpricing of essential goods.

To Año, the President expressed concern for the 49 persons who are still missing due to the storm. At least 31 others have been confirmed dead.

The President apparently had harsh words for communist rebels who attack soldiers extending humanitarian assistance to communities.

"He directed [the Department of the Interior and Local Government] to intensify rescue operations for individuals who are still missing, and also conveyed his condemnation of the [New People's Army] attack on humanitarian soldiers engaged in humanitarian work in Samar, reiterating that this is the reason why he has opted to cease all talks with the NPA," said Roque.

As for damage to agriculture, Duterte suggested that provinces in Eastern Visayas like Biliran, often in the path of storms from the Pacific Ocean, shift to planting crops that could withstand such weather, instead of palay.

Before the briefing, Duterte and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go went on an aerial survey of areas affected by Urduja aboard a chopper. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld a Quezon City court’s conviction of Jason Ivler for murder in the shooting of a former Malacañang official’s son in a road rage case in 2009.

The CA affirmed the lower court’s penalty of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in jail for Ivler, nephew of singer Freddie Aguilar.

The CA also increased damages to be paid to the family of victim Renato Ebarle Jr, son of  former undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr, the chief of staff of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

From P143,890, the CA increased the actual damages of burial expenses to P616,590. Moral damages were increased to P100,000, and exemplary damages to P100,000. Ivler was also ordered to pay civil indemnity in the amount of P100,000.

“All damages shall earn interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the time of finality of this decision until fully paid,” said the appellate court’s 14th Division in a decision promulgated on November 28.

Ivler shot Ebarle Jr dead during a traffic altercation in November 2009 on Santolan Avenue in Quezon City. He was convicted of murder by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 84 in November 2015.

Ivler's defense 

Ivler wanted to downgrade his charge from murder to homicide, and challenged the testimonies of eyewitnesses who identified him as the shooter.

Ivler said that if eyewitnesses, one of whom was a cop, really did see him shoot the victim, “they would have been immobilized out of fear for their life and safety rendering it impossible for them to pay attention to details.”

But the CA said the crime scene was a well-lit area, the eyewitnesses were only within 3-5 meters of the crime scene and that there “was no competing event to draw the witnesses’ attention away from the incident.”

Ivler’s alibi was that he was at a friend’s birthday party in Makati from 10:15 pm of November 18, 2009 to 3 am of November 19. The shooting happened 11 pm on November 18 in Quezon City.

“(Alibi) cannot prevail over and is worthless in the face of the positive identification by a credible witness that an accused perpetrated the crime,” the CA said.

The court added: “Ivler was correctly convicted and sentenced by the RTC to the penalty of reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole.” – Rappler.com

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar's army burned down dozens of Rohingya homes within days of signing a refugee repatriation deal with Bangladesh, showing the agreement was a mere "public relations stunt," Human Rights Watch said Monday, December 18.

The rights group, citing analysis of satellite imagery, said buildings in 40 villages were destroyed in October and November, increasing the total to 354 villages that had been partially or completely razed since last August.

Dozens of buildings were burned the same week Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on November 23 to begin returning refugees from Bangladesh within two months, HRW said in a report.

"The Burmese army's destruction of Rohingya villages within days of signing a refugee repatriation agreement with Bangladesh shows that commitments to safe returns were just a public relations stunt," said Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director, in the report, adding safety pledges for returnees could not be taken seriously.

Deadly attacks by Rohingya insurgents on August 25 prompted a ferocious military crackdown on the Muslim minority living in the north of Myanmar's Rakhine state.

More than 655,000 of them have fled across the border to Bangladesh since then, bringing horrific accounts of rape, extrajudicial killing and arson.

The US and United Nations have described the process as ethnic cleansing. The UN rights chief has suggested the operation contains "elements of genocide".

Responding to international pressure, Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government inked an agreement with Bangladesh in late November to start the repatriation of Rohingya refugees within two months.

But HRW said it was difficult to believe this could be carried out responsibly.

"Myanmar is playing the most cynical of games, with Aung San Suu Kyi and her team signing a refugee repatriation deal that contains no real guarantees of protection to returnees, while on the ground the security forces continue their campaign of torching the villages the Rohingya want to return to," Phil Robertson, deputy director of HRW's Asia division, told AFP.

Aid groups have said they will boycott any new camps set up in northern Rakhine.

Last week the group Doctors Without Borders released a survey which found that nearly 7,000 Rohingya had been killed in the Rakhine violence.

The military has put the number in the hundreds and denied targeting civilians or committing atrocities, while Suu Kyi said major security operations stopped in early September.

Myanmar has in the past blamed fires in villages on insurgents.

"I am not sure of the number of villages" affected, government spokesman Zaw Htay told AFP, without providing additional comment on the HRW report. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – The Kremlin on Monday, December 18, praised the "exemplary cooperation" between US and Russian security services after the CIA helped thwart a terror attack on a landmark Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg.

In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, December 17, Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude for intelligence which allowed Russia's FSB security service to prevent attacks on the Kazan Cathedral, one of the best known symbols of Saint Petersburg, and other places.

Russia's FSB security service said last week it had arrested seven members of the Islamic State group who had been planning terror attacks in crowded areas of Russia's former Imperial capital.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised on Monday the case of "exemplary cooperation" between the security services of the two countries in the fight against terror.

"There are certain sporadic contacts between our security services but in this particular instance this (was) rather useful information that helped save a lot of lives," he told reporters.

"And certainly it cannot but cause satisfaction and gratitude," Peskov added. "These are the standards we should aspire to so that they determine the future course."

Putin has pledged that Russian security services would pass on any information received about terrorist threats to the United States.

It was the second time in a week that the Russian and US leaders have exchanged praise over the phone.

Bilateral ties have been in the doldrums for years, over Moscow's meddling in Ukraine, Western sanctions over Russia, and more recently allegations of collusion between Russia and members of Trump's election campaign. – Rappler.com

KABUL, Afghanistan – Militants stormed an intelligence agency training center in Kabul on Monday, December 18, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, triggering an intense gunbattle with Afghan police.

Security forces battled the militants, besieged in a construction site at the National Directorate of Security (NDS), for hours before killing at least two attackers.

"They were well hidden in buildings under construction. We exploded their VBIED and killed two or three of them," a source with the NDS told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to a car bomb that attackers brought to the scene.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said two police officers were injured but there were no civilian casualties.

During the attack, roads to the area were closed and dozens of police and intelligence officers blocked access to the public.

AFP reporters, who were held more than a kilometer away from the scene, saw ambulances and reinforcements headed towards the site.

"I was going toward my school. It (the attack) happened suddenly... the police arrived in the area fast and blocked the roads, not allowing anyone to get to their homes," Naweed, a student, told AFP.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda arm.

"Two IS attackers raid the Afghan intelligence center in Kabul," the jihadists' Amaq outlet reported.

The Afghan capital in recent months has become one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians, as the resurgent Taliban and increasingly IS both step up their attacks on security installations and mosques.

Security in Kabul has been strengthened since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the city's diplomatic quarter, killing about 150 people and wounding around 400 – mostly civilians.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for that attack, which the government blamed on the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network.

Monday's attack represents another blow to beleaguered Afghan police and troops.

The Taliban have targeted military installations in recent months, including a spate of attacks in October that killed around 150 people.

Afghan forces, already beset by desertions and corruption, have seen casualties soar to what a US watchdog has described as "shockingly high" levels since NATO forces officially ended their combat mission in 2014 and began a training and support role.

Morale has been further eroded by long-running fears that the militants have insider help – everything from infiltrators in the ranks to corrupt Afghan forces selling equipment to the Taliban.

IS, which has expanded its presence in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, has also scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including those on the country's Shiite minority.

Last month a suicide attacker blew himself up outside a political gathering in Kabul, killing at least 14 people in an attack claimed by IS. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – 2017 will be remembered as the year the Islamic State group's ultra-violent statehood experiment was terminated, but Iraq and Syria are now left staring at ruined cities and daunting challenges.

The jihadist group lost its two main hubs, Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria, earlier this year and is now only clinging to the dregs of a "caliphate" that spanned territory the size of Britain three years ago.

The proto-state shrank all year as a hail of air strikes conducted by Iraq with its US-led allies and Syria with its main Russian backer paved the way for an inexorable territorial reconquest.

This month, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that for the first time in four years IS controlled no significant territory in Iraq.

In neighboring Syria, some work remains to be done, but IS holds only scattered and isolated pockets.

In Iraq, the West threw its weight behind Abadi, who has defied the odds to keep his seat and gain internal credibility as he steered the country through three years of anti-IS war.

The costly military fightback was also a chance to rebuild an army whose collapse in Mosul played a large part in the lightning expansion of the IS caliphate in 2014.

The US-led coalition has trained 125,000 members of the security forces since then, and the country's elite counter-terrorism units that spearheaded the fight against IS are arguably the world's most battle-hardened regular force.

Destroyed cities 

"Daesh is finished from a military point of view but not as a terrorist organization... we must remain in a permanent state of alert," said Ahmed al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary organization that had a major role in the war.

The status of the Hashed, which is dominated by Shiite militia groups whose loyalty is more to Tehran than Baghdad, will be one of the greatest challenges for Iraq in the coming months.

The country will also have to inject life back into Sunni cities that have been extensively destroyed, including the second city Mosul, Baiji, Ramadi, Sinjar and Fallujah.

Failure to do so quickly, observers say, would give the remnants of IS – or its next incarnation – a chance to emerge from the desert canyons where they are hiding and thrive afresh on the back of renewed sectarian discord.

Syrian cities such as Aleppo, Raqa, Homs and others also need extensive reconstruction.

President Bashar al-Assad is much less palatable to the international community than Abadi, who enjoys good relations with the West as well as with Iran and other neighbors.

During 2017, a peacetime feel returned to parts of Damascus and some areas elsewhere in the country where the fighting ended two or three years ago.

But while IS's final military defeat in Syria is in no doubt, the war there is not yet over and large-scale military operations against anti-regime forces are still under way.

Several so-called "de-escalation zones" across the country have yielded mixed results and successive rounds of international negotiations to end a conflict that has killed around 350,000 people in less than seven years have yet to bear fruit.

Humanitarian crisis

Kurds pushing for more autonomy and supported by the US now control a large area of the country, a standoff with Damascus that many fear risks sparking renewed fighting.

Indeed, on Monday Assad referred to the Kurdish fighters who battled IS as "traitors."

"A big problem might be if a new security vacuum emerges, for example if the regime and the (Kurdish-dominated) Syrian Democratic Forces go to war against each other," said Syria analyst Aymenn al-Tamimi.

Since the end of the nine-month operation to retake Mosul – the largest urban battle since World War II – and the assault to wrest back Raqa that ended in October, the scale of the fighting has tailed off.

2018 could even be the year Syria's deadly conflict is declared over, but the humanitarian crisis in both Iraq and Syria still festers, prompting record appeals for aid.

Around three million Iraqis are displaced while half of Syria's 22 million inhabitants have been forced from their homes by the conflict.

A growing number of Syrians are returning home, but "while some areas have become safer this year, fighting has erupted in other places causing huge waves of displacement", said Ingy Sedky, ICRC spokesperson for Syria, adding that a million people were displaced this year alone.

In Iraq, 11 million people require humanitarian assistance and colossal reconstruction needs are not the only challenges.

"Thousands are in detention following these rounds of conflict," said Patrick Hamilton, ICRC Deputy Regional Director of the Near and Middle East.

"How they are treated, and how justice is carried out will have a critical impact on creating a sustainable peace, or gestating the next round of violence," he said. – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY – At least 8 buildings inside the Cebu IT Park were ordered evacuated Monday night, December 18, after construction workers found a vintage bomb at a nearby construction site.

The Cebu IT Park is where most of the city's business process outsourcing companies are located, with more than 100,000 workers.

In an advisory issued by Jennifer Paglinawan, Cebu IT Park administrator, residents and workers of the following buildings were told to evacuate before 12 midnight Monday:

• Teleperformance
• Skyrise 1 and 4
• CIRS
• eBlock Tower 1 and 2
• Avida Towers Riala
• Avida Towers Cebu

The construction site at 38 Park Avenue, where the vintage bomb was found, has already been placed under the custody of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management.

"Authorities, including the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and SWAT are working together for the disposal of the vintage ordnance," the advisory read.

Workers and residents of the 8 buildings were told to vacate and not return from 1 am to 6 am Tuesday, December 19, as the extraction of the vintage bomb would be conducted during those hours.

"The public located within a 1-kilometer radius is advised to be on heightened alert while the ordnance is being extracted," Paglinawan said.

Cebu IT Park will be closing the roads by 2 am until 6 am or until further advice. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) a terrorist group, President Rodrigo Duterte is now comparing them to one of the most infamous terrorist organizations in the world: Islamic State (ISIS).

"I am sick and tired of talking to you. Almost pareho kayo ng ISIS (You are almost the same as ISIS). It's an empty thing. There is no ideology except to destroy and kill," Duterte said on Monday, December 18 during his address to a roomful of cops, firemen, and jail officers.

Only two weeks have passed since the President declared the NPA as a terrorist group, and only almost a month since he halted peace talks with communists.

During his speech, Duterte repeatedly condemned the NPA for their deadly guerrilla-style operations which had claimed the lives of many uniformed men and women.

"There is no point in talking to you. There’s not even a single factor of a revolutionary there. You go around asking money, robbing the poor tapos ‘yung mga asawa sa taga-bukid, hinihipo ninyo (then the wives in the countryside, you molest)," he said.

The President usually launches a tirade against the communists whenever he speaks after a recent report of an NPA attack. (READ: Joma to Duterte: Let's end war of words, war on the ground)

Aside from pointing out violence and armed struggle as a common thread, the President, however, failed to explain that both groups essentially want different things.

ISIS wants a global caliphate achieved through a global war, while the NPA seeks to overthrow the Philippine government for a systematic and cultural overhaul.

The Philippines itself is not a stranger to ISIS' ambitions. The country's main Islamic city, Marawi, just saw the end of a 5-month war started by homegrown terrorists linked to the international terrorist group.

According to the President, he even used to "share the same values" as the CPP, but he said he wonders what had happened. He did not mention which values had resonated with him before he soured on the rebels. – Rappler.com

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South African deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa was narrowly elected head of the ruling ANC party Monday, December 18, winning a bruising race that exposed deep rifts within the organization that led the fight against apartheid.

Thousands of raucous Ramaphosa supporters sang and chanted in the conference hall as rival backers of defeated candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma appeared dejected.

Ramaphosa won 2,440 votes to Dlamini-Zuma's 2,261.

"We declare comrade Cyril Ramaphosa the new president of the African National Congress," an official told party delegates in Johannesburg.

The victory puts Ramaphosa in line to succeed President Jacob Zuma, whose reign has been plagued by corruption scandals, economic slowdown and growing anger at the once-omnipotent party.

The vote was a long and acrimonious process. Delegates who had travelled from around South Africa cast their ballots after repeated delays caused by disputes over who was entitled to vote.

President Zuma was seen as backing his former wife Dlamini-Zuma, allegedly to secure protection from prosecution on graft charges after he leaves office.

But his loyalists did win senior positions in the vote, including David Mabuza as party deputy chief, meaning Ramaphosa is likely to face strong internal opposition to his pro-business reform agenda.

"I hope you will cooperate with the new leadership," Baleka Mbete, party chairwoman, told delegates.

Falling public support

President Zuma stepped down as party chief at the conference but could remain as head of state until the 2019 election.

The ANC, which has ruled since 1994 when Nelson Mandela won the first multi-racial vote, faces a struggle to retain its grip on power in the next election due to falling public support.

"The party will decide if Zuma goes (before the 2019 election)," Mzwandile Mkhwanazi, a delegate from KwaZulu-Natal province, told Agence France-Presse.

"Ramaphosa's  victory is good for the country. We need a stable country, a president able to fight corruption. We think he is up to the task."

The rand currency pared earlier gains and was 2.8% stronger against the dollar on Monday evening in Johannesburg. 

Ramaphosa, 65, is a former trade unionist leader who led talks to end white-minority rule in the early 1990s and then became a multi-millionaire businessman before returning to politics.

He is often accused of failing to confront Zuma while serving as his deputy since 2014.

Dlamini-Zuma was head of the African Union commission until earlier this year and a former interior, foreign affairs and health minister.

She had 4 children with Zuma before divorcing in 1998.

'Rebuild party image'

"I believe Ramaphosa will work to bring back the principles of liberal politics in the party," Amanda Gouws, politics professor at Stellenbosch University, told Agence France-Presse.

"The outcome of the vote was not easy to call. What is at stake here is unity -- the new leaders need to forge unity and rebuild the image of the party."

Allegations swirled of delegates being targeted with bribes, but ANC spokesman Khusela Sangoni told reporters that the process had proceeded "smoothly".

"I'm bowing out very happy because I think... I made my contribution," President Zuma, 75, said on Monday as he walked through the vast conference centre hosting the five-day event.

Soaring unemployment and state corruption have fuelled frustration at the ANC among millions of poor black South Africans who face dire housing, inadequate education and continuing racial inequality.

Party veteran Zikalala Snuki told Agence France-Presse: "It's democracy. We are happy that we managed to elect the top leadership.

"We have Ramaphosa, who may be able to steer the ship in the right direction."

The opposition Democratic Alliance party said that the ANC was "held together only by the glue of patronage and corruption, and Cyril Ramaphosa is just a new face to the same old ANC." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte conferred on Monday, December 8, the Order of Lapu-Lapu to 104 uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Of the 104, 99 are cops who were sent to help in the liberation of Marawi in 2017, while 4 were from the BFP and one from the BJMP. (READ: All Marawi-assigned SAF troopers promoted one rank)

"Today, we confer the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the men and women of the PNP who risked their lives in order to liberate Marawi City from the hands of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorist group," Duterte said in his speech during the awarding ceremony in Camp Crame.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy were also present at the ceremony.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu is awarded to officials, government personnel, and private citizens "in recognition of invaluable or extraordinary service in relation to a campaign or advocacy of the President" according to Duterte's on Executive Order Number (EO) 17 which began the recognition.

It is divided into 4 medals, as amended by EO 35:

1. Kalasag Medal - given to those who lost their lives in the line of pushing for a campaign of the President
2. Kampilan Medal -  given to those who were injured or lost property in the line of pushing for a campaign of the President
3. Magalong Medal - given to officials, personnel, or private individuals who have rendered "extraordinary service" and "exceptional contributions" to a campaign of the President
4. Kamagi Medal - given to those who do not fall on the mentioned medals but have "actively participated" and "contributed significantly" to a campaign of the President

"They are the epitome of courage, bravery, and patriotism. Indeed, for paying the ultimate sacrifice and for rendering extraordinary service to our nation, we consider them as our heroes," Duterte added in his speech.

Below is the full list of individuals recognized by the President.

Kalasag Medal

Kampilan Medal

Magalong Medal

Kamagi Medal

– Rappler.com

UNITED NATIONS – The United States on Monday, December 18, vetoed a draft UN resolution rejecting President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, after all 14 other Security Council members backed the measure.

The veto cast by US Ambassador Nikki Haley highlighted Washington's isolation over Trump's announcement that the US embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, effectively ignoring Palestinian claims on the city.

The shift by the Republican president, announced earlier this month, broke with international consensus, triggering protests across the Muslim world and strong condemnation.

Key US allies Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine were among the 14 countries in the 15-member council that voted in favor of the proposed measure put forward by Egypt.

The draft resolution reaffirmed that Jerusalem is an issue "to be resolved through negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians and that any decisions on the status of Jerusalem "have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded."

"The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy," Haley told the council after the veto.

"What we witnessed here today in the Security Council is an insult. It won't be forgotten," she said, describing the measure as "one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

The text expressed "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem" – without specifically mentioning Trump's move.

Resolutions presented to the council require nine votes for adoption, but the United States – along with Britain, China, France and Russia – have the power to veto any measure.

'Thank you' from Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately thanked Haley, posting on Twitter: "Truth defeated lies. Thank you, President Trump. Thank you, Nikki Haley."

The Palestinians slammed the veto as "unacceptable" and vowed to turn to the UN General Assembly to push for a resolution condemning the decision. No country has the power to veto resolutions in the 193-nation assembly. 

"Regrettably one state decided to oppose the whole world and to stand against the whole world with regard to this long-standing issue," Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour told the council.

"The United States chooses to disregard international law and ignore the international consensus," he charged.

US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Jerusalem on Wednesday, wading into the crisis over one of the most controversial issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel seized control of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Middle East war and sees all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital. The Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

The draft resolution had included a call on all countries to refrain from opening embassies in Jerusalem, reflecting concerns that other governments could follow the US lead.

Going back a 'century'

Washington's closest allies, France and Britain, came out ahead of the vote to declare their backing for the measure, which they said was in line with positions enshrined in UN resolutions adopted over several decades.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized during the 1967 war and have reaffirmed the need to end the occupation of that land.

The status of the city must be decided through negotiations and "not by the unilateral decision of a third country that would bring us back a century," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre.

Despite outrage over the US decision, the United States "will continue to play an extremely important role in the search for peace in the Middle East," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

The US veto on Jerusalem came nearly a year after the previous US administration abstained in a council vote condemning Israeli settlements, allowing that measure to pass.

Haley, who used her veto power for the first time as US ambassador, stressed that the United States still supports a two-state solution "if that's what the parties agree to."

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has scrapped a meeting with Pence in protest at the Jerusalem announcement, and will instead head to Saudi Arabia to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Turkey meanwhile said it hopes to soon open an embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem. – Rappler.com

DUPONT, Washington, USA (UPDATED) An Amtrak passenger train traveling on a new route for the first time derailed Monday, December 18, in Washington state, killing at least 3 people as cars plunged off a bridge onto a busy highway at the height of morning rush hour, officials said.

The train, which was carrying 77 passengers and seven crew, derailed in DuPont about halfway between Tacoma and the state capital Olympia on a curve that passes over busy Interstate 5 at about 7:40 am local time (1540 GMT).

Pictures from the scene showed one Amtrak train car overturned and crushed on the interstate highway and others dangling from the overpass.

Several other carriages of the 14-car train also ended up on the highway, shutting down a key section of the busy artery that connects the greater Seattle metropolitan area to Olympia. All but one car jumped the tracks.

A spokeswoman for Washington State police, Brooke Bova, confirmed the death toll, adding that all train cars had been searched by emergency personnel.

But she cautioned that several of the roughly 100 people taken to area hospitals were in critical condition.

"We don't know if that number will change," Bova said of the death toll.

Officials gave no reason for the derailment of southbound Amtrak train 501, the inaugural run of a new service that promised faster connections between Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Local officials had warned only weeks ago that the track still might not be safe enough to handle trains at higher speeds.

None of the people in vehicles traveling on the highway below the train were killed, according to Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. 

Police said 5 vehicles and two trucks were hit on the highway.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of experts to investigate the incident.

'People were screaming'

Chris Karnes, a local transit official who was aboard the train, told local CBS News affiliate KIRO-TV that the accident took place while it was going around a curve.

"All of a sudden, we felt this rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill," he said.

"The next thing we know, we're being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there's water gushing out of the train. People were screaming." 

A conductor in one of the two engines on the train placed the emergency call.

"Amtrak 501, emergency emergency emergency, we are on the ground," he said, according to an audio recording of the call.

"We were coming around the corner to take the bridge over I-5 there right north of Nisqually and we went on the ground.

"We got cars everywhere and down onto the highway," he said.

Amtrak president and co-chief executive Richard Anderson said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash. 

"We will do everything in our power to support our passengers and crew and their families," Anderson said.

Safety concerns

The accident marred the launch of faster services on the route after a $181 million upgrade project that included improving the rails, the signaling technology and the locomotives.

Local officials had worried about trains going at higher speeds through the curves in the area. The trains were expected to reach speeds of 79 miles (127 kilometers) per hour through the densely populated area with the improved systems and track.

In early December, Don Anderson – the mayor of Lakewood, Washington, a Tacoma suburb just a few miles from the accident site – had warned that more needed to be done to ensure safety on the route.

"Come back when there is that accident, and try to justify not putting in those safety enhancements," he said, according to KOMO News.

Karnes said the tracks were supposed to have been upgraded to accommodate higher speeds.

"I'm not sure what happened," he said.

Trump: US needs better infrastructure

US President Donald Trump said the accident underscored the need to invest in infrastructure.

"Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!" he tweeted.

The new Siemens Charger locomotives were equipped with "positive train control" safety systems, designed to automatically stop the train in dangerous situations and mandated for trains around the country.

But the technology was only expected to be used next year when it is activated on the entire rail corridor, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.  

In 2015, an Amtrak train going far over the designated speed for a stretch of curves in the track in Philadelphia derailed, killing eight.

At the time, analysts said positive train control technology could have prevented the accident. – Rappler.com

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, USA – Puerto Rico's governor on Monday, December 18, ordered a review of all deaths in the US territory since Hurricane Maria, responding to reports that the island's official toll from the devastating storm may vastly undercount the true number of fatalities.

"This is about more than numbers. These are lives: real people, leaving behind loved ones and families," Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a statement.

The category 4 mega-storm roared across the US territory in the Caribbean on September 20 with massive winds of up to 250 kilometers (156 miles) per hour, completely knocking out the power grid and drinking water supplies, toppling houses and businesses and widespread devastation.

But nearly 3 months after the hurricane, parts of the island are still without power, and that has meant lingering danger for elderly people in nursing homes, for instance, or those on respirators or needing dialysis.

The power grid is operating at only 70% capacity, making life miserable for many on the island of 3.4 million people.

The average number of deaths in October, for instance, was way up from the previous year, according to government figures obtained by Agence France-Presse. 

The total was at 2,963, or 606 – 25.7% – more than the same month in 2016. The same pattern is seen in September figures from one year to the next.

Still, the official death toll from Maria has stood at 64. And the government has defended its counting methods.

'More than a number'

However, broader analyses of health and death records by Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism, CNN, The New York Times and Vox placed deaths linked to Maria at between 500 and more than 1,000.

These outlets said their numbers stemmed from visits to funeral homes, senior citizens' centers and hospitals, as well as death counts from government statistics agencies. 

In his statement, Rossello said his government always expected the storm-related death toll to rise as more factual information came in.

The studies done by the Times and other outlets are statistical in nature, he said.

But he added: "Every life is more than a number, and every death must have a name and vital information attached to it, as well as an accurate accounting of the facts related to their passing."

The official review will look at all deaths on the island since the storm, no matter what the death certificate in each case says, Rossello said.

Demographer and independent consultant Raul Figueroa told Agence France-Presse recently that "the handling of the death toll has not been the most appropriate. It must be handled by an epidemiologist, accompanied by studies." 

"There were doctors who did not have a protocol on how to report the dead so that they in turn could be certified by the government, and there were people overwhelmed by their basic and vital needs who did not report their dead," Figueroa said. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – US President Donald Trump used the launch of his first National Security Strategy on Monday, December 18, to laud the benefits of cooperation with Russia, a striking departure from the document's more combative tone toward the Kremlin.

Unveiling a text that pilloried both Russia and China as "revisionist powers" bent on rolling back American interests, Trump hailed recent counterterror cooperation between Moscow and Washington.

Trump claimed that a recent CIA tip-off about a terror attack on a cathedral in Vladimir Putin's home town of Saint Petersburg had prevented deaths "in the thousands."

"They were able to apprehend these terrorists before the event with no loss of life and that's a great thing, and the way it's supposed to work," Trump said, offering the prospect of better ties.

His conciliatory tone toward Putin came in sharp contrast to the 68-page strategy that was put together by key aides and which was designed to serve as a framework for the Trump administration's approach to the world.

The text uses remarkably biting language to frame Beijing and Moscow as global competitors. 

"China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity," the document says.

It warns that "Russia aims to weaken US influence in the world and divide us from our allies and partners," while Russian nuclear weapons are deemed "the most significant existential threat to the United States." 

It accuses China of seeking "to displace the United States" in Asia, listing a litany of US grievances, from deficits, to data theft to spreading "features of its authoritarian system."

"Contrary to our hopes, China expanded its power at the expense of the sovereignty of others," it says.

Trump's presidential campaign is being investigated for possible collusion with Russia in the runup to his shock 2016 election win. 

The 45th president has derided the FBI investigation and called allegations of collusion "fake news."

Signal or noise?

The document – which has been 11 months in the making – is required by law and is designed to form a framework for how America approaches the world.

Previous national security strategies have been released without much fanfare and served as guideposts, rather than doctrinal commandments. 

But in this unorthodox administration, the document had taken on extra significance. 

Foreign officials in Washington often complain that there are effectively "two administrations" – one that they hear from day-to-day in contacts with the State Department and Pentagon and another coming from Trump, often via Twitter in 280 characters or fewer.

Trump and his advisors often publicly differ starkly on fundamental security issues from the Middle East to talks with North Korea.

But allies looking for clarity about the intentions of the world's pre-eminent economic and military power are likely to be confused by Trump's mixed messages.

Where the strategy warns Russia is using "subversive measures" to undermine "transatlantic unity," Trump again claimed that European allies were "delinquent" in paying for security "while we guarantee their safety and are willing to fight wars for them."

Where the strategy warned of Moscow's "destabilizing cyber capabilities" and interference in domestic political affairs, Trump made no such reference.

Legacy of ashes

Since coming to office, Trump has worked to dismantle the legacy of his predecessor Barack Obama on issues ranging from climate change to free trade, sometimes leaving Washington isolated on the world stage.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly voted to approve a resolution to reject Trump's controversial recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – a move Washington blocked with its veto.

Trump's National Security Strategy also breaks with allies on the threat of climate change, avoiding the term outright and instead calling for "energy dominance."

"America's central position in the global energy system as a leading producer, consumer, and innovator – ensures that markets are free and US infrastructure is resilient and secure," it says.

Ascending to power on a message resolutely skeptical of climate change, Trump said in June that he would pull the US out of the Paris agreement on climate change signed by almost 200 countries.

A year before he left office, Obama said climate change would affect the way America's military must defend the country, through profound adjustments in organization, training and protection of infrastructure. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Japan's government on Tuesday, December 19, approved the introduction of the US military's land-based Aegis missile interceptor system, beefing up its defense against "serious" and "imminent" North Korea threats.

The regime in Pyongyang has fired two missiles over Japan this year and has threatened to "sink" the country into the sea.

Last month, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that plunged into the waters of Japan's exclusive economic zone. 

"North Korea's nuclear and missile development has entered a new stage of threat that is more serious and imminent to our country's security," the government said as it endorsed the introduction of Aegis Ashore at a cabinet meeting.

Japan needs to drastically improve its missile defense, Tokyo added.

Japan plans to introduce the Aegis Ashore system at two locations, covering the entire nation with powerful radars.

The deployment will hand the US ally another layer of defense in addition to SM-3 guided missiles launched by Aegis destroyer vessels and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles.

However, it will take years before the Aegis Ashore system is operational, according to Japanese officials.

The contract is yet to be signed with the United States and deployment at two locations could cost a total of 200 billion yen ($1.8 billion), including the cost of building new facilities.

However, officials insisted the new system would boost Japan's missile defense.

"Naval vessels need to return to their ports regularly for rest and refueling, but if it's ground deployment, we will be able to operate almost 24-7," an official said. 

"We can be on permanent vigilance even when signs (of missile firing) are hard to detect," he said.

Japan is reportedly planning a record $46 billion defense budget for the next fiscal year in the face of the North Korean threat.

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said this month the country also plans to purchase long-range cruise missiles from US firms with a range of some 900 kilometers (560 miles).

The move would be controversial as Japan's pacifist constitution bans the use of force as a means of settling international disputes. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Labor groups on Tuesday, December 19, urged the government to implement better social protection policies that will shield the poor from the effects of the newly-signed tax reform law.

The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Tuesday, December 19, reduces income taxes but imposes higher taxes on fuel, cars, coal, tobacco, mining, and some sugar-sweetened beverages. Critics have warned that this will cause a price surge in basic commodities. 

“Additional excise taxes for fuel will increase transport fares and the cost of LPG. The increase in power rates, while we have not completed the shift from coal to renewable sources of energy, will increase electricity rates,” the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said in a statement shortly after the Train law was signed in Malacañang.

“These products and services are sensitive to workers. The increase in these costs will not only nullify any gains from the tax exemptions afforded to workers, it will push workers to get more loans and be victimized by loan sharks,” it added.

The Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) stressed that some 15.6 million informal workers will be hit by the Train law. 

“Informal sector workers working in the informal economy will be run over by the Train. Getting no direct benefits from the tax reform package, these underground economy workers will fall further way below the poverty line,” said ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay. 

Informal economy workers are small-scale independent service and goods providers such as public utility vehicle drivers and street vendors. These workers are not covered by labor laws because they do not have a formal employer. 

More often than not, they are the ones who are not registered to avail of social safety nets like the Social Security System, PhilHealth and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG). 

The Philippines is behind its Asian neighbors when it comes to providing social protection, which could prevent citizens from falling into poverty when faced with disasters or unforeseen circumstances. 

SSS has the AlkanSSSya program, which allows low-income earners to pay the minimum P300 monthly contribution by saving P11 per day. But it still needs to improve collections for members to enjoy the benefits they are entitled to.

The House passed in September the universal health insurance bill. A similar measure is pending at the Senate committee level. 

Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno also tagged the newly signed measure as a "stupid proposition" that only intends to fund the administration's "Build, Build, Build" program. 

"The government should instead prioritize programs that will provide food and livelihood," KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said in Filipino. – Rappler.com